A further six cities (Belfast, Derby, Hull, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield) will also receive 4G coverage by the end of the year and it is hoped that by the end of 2012 EE's 4G will reach a third of the UK's population with plans for 98 per cent coverage by 2014.

"We are delighted to announce that the official launch of our new customer brand, EE, offering the UK's first super-fast mobile 4G and fibre broadband service, will take place on 30 October 2012," said EE's CEO Olaf Swantee.

"This is a significant milestone for the United Kingdom, and for the people and businesses of our country who will now be able to enjoy the huge advantages of superfast 4G technology for the first time.

"We are very proud to be pioneering, innovating and leading our industry in launching 4G for our nation through our new EE brand."

As the first mobile operator to provide 4G in the UK, EE will have exclusivity of the service for at least six months - beating rivals such as O2, Vodafone and Three by using its current 1800MHz spectrum instead of waiting for the auction of 4G spectrum scheduled to take place in January 2013.

However, Ofcom has announced that this spectrum will be cleared sooner than previously expected, with 4G LTE connectivity to be made available in the UK five months earlier than originally planned - from spring 2013.